Automated methods and apparatus for installing a sleeve on a cable

ABSTRACT

A method utilizes a funnel system and robotic end effector grippers to feed an unjacketed portion of a shielded cable through a sleeve. The funnel is designed with one or more thin extensions (hereinafter “prongs”) on which a sleeve is placed prior to a cable entering the funnel. Preferably two or more prongs are employed, although a single prong may be used if properly configured to both guide a cable and fit between the sleeve and cable. The prongs close off the uneven surface internal to a sleeve and provide a smooth surface for the cable to slide along and through the sleeve, preventing any damage to the exposed shielding. The sleeve is picked up and held on the prongs using a robotic end effector. If the sleeve is a solder sleeve, the robotic end effector has grippers designed to make contact with the portions of the solder sleeve that are between the insulating rings and the central solder ring.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of and claims priority from U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/195,520 filed on Nov. 19, 2018, which issued asU.S. Pat. No. 11,120,928 on Sep. 14, 2021.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure generally relates to methods and apparatus forprocessing shielded cable. In particular, this disclosure relates tomethods and apparatus for installing a sleeve on a cable.

Shielded cables incorporate shielding in an attempt to preventelectromagnetic interference. For example, the conductors may besurrounded by braided shielding made of metal. Because the shielding ismade of metal, it may also serve as a path to ground. Usually a shieldedcable incorporates a grounding wire that contacts the shield in anunjacketed portion of the shielded cable. Typically the grounding wireis attached to the unjacketed portion using a solder sleeve. Typicallythe solder sleeve is placed around a portion of a shielded cable havingexposed shield and then melted in place.

One current process for installing a solder sleeve on a shielded cableis manual and labor-intensive. The process also requires additionalsteps, as a protective slug must be created and left in place as asolder sleeve is fed onto the cable; the slug then must be manuallyremoved from the cable.

More specifically, the aforementioned process requires that a jacketslug protect the shield strands from damage as a solder sleeve isthreaded onto a cable. The inner diameter of a solder sleeve is highlyvariable down the length of the solder sleeve due to the internalcomponents contained within the sleeve, including the solder ring,ground wire, and insulation rings. In addition, the tolerance values ofsolder sleeves are large, adding even more variability to the interiorsurface of the sleeves. This variability in addition to the interiorcomponents makes it difficult for a cable with exposed shielding to passthrough a solder sleeve without strands of the shield being damaged,usually due to snagging on the edge of an internal component andcrumpling as the cable is pushed through the sleeve. However, creating ajacket slug requires that the cable be scored twice in two differentlocations, and then removing the two segments of outer jacket in twoseparate steps. The manual process poses a higher risk of damaging theunderlying shield and/or conductors, and is reliant on operator skill.Removing the protective slug also introduces a second point of strain onthe shield and underlying conductors, as operators use tubing tomanually pull off the slug once the solder sleeve has been fed onto thecable. Additionally, the time required to perform this step adds to thecycle time of the entire process. It would be advantageous to provide anautomated solution that avoids damaging the exposed shield of the cableand reduces labor cost associated with processing and installing soldersleeves on shielded cables.

SUMMARY

The subject matter disclosed in some detail below is directed toproviding fully automated (with automated feeding) solutions forinstalling a sleeve on a cable. For example, the apparatus and methodsdisclosed herein may be used to install a solder sleeve or a dead endsleeve on a portion of a shielded cable that includes a length ofexposed shield. The automation of the sleeve installation operationenables repeatable and consistent quality across end products that isunachievable with a fully manual process.

One method disclosed in some detail below utilizes a funnel system androbotic end effector grippers to feed an unjacketed portion of ashielded cable through a solder sleeve. This method uses a specializedfunnel system designed to accommodate the different sizes of sleeves.The funnel is designed with one or more thin extensions on which asolder sleeve is placed prior to a cable entering the funnel. The funnelextensions (hereinafter “prongs”) may be attached to or integrallyformed with the funnels. Preferably two or more prongs are employed,although a single prong may be used if properly configured to both guidea cable and fit between the sleeve and cable. The prongs close off theuneven surface internal to a sleeve and provide a smooth surface for thecable to slide along and through the sleeve, preventing any damage tothe exposed shielding. The sleeve is picked up and held on the prongsusing a robotic end effector. If the sleeve is a solder sleeve, therobotic end effector has grippers designed to make contact with theportions of the sleeve that are between the insulating rings and thecentral solder ring.

In accordance with some embodiments, the funnel has an open top. In suchcases, the robotic end effector includes a cover that is a part of theend effector. This cover is designed to close off the opening in thefunnel to ensure the cable passes fully through the funnel and throughthe sleeve during the insertion process. As the cable continues totravel through the sleeve, the end effector travels with the cable,maintaining the sleeve's central position over the exposed shield of thecable. Alternatively, the end effector repositions the sleeve over theshield once the cable has come to a stop; this operation brushes theshield strands down against the cable prior to the melting process. Oncethe sleeve has been positioned for processing, the end effector releasesthe sleeve and is removed from the processing area (e.g., a heatingzone). A heat source can be moved into position to shrink the sleeve inplace, or the sleeve can remain on the cable to be processed in aseparate method. The cable is able to exit the funnel through the openslit that is no longer closed off by the end effector, and can then beretracted from the processing area. This method enables automation ofthe sleeve installation process, which reduces labor costs.

As used herein, the term “sleeve” means a tube made of shrinkablematerial, such as a solder sleeve made of thermoplastic material (whichshrinks) and a solder ring (which melts) or a dead end sleeve made ofthermoplastic material and having no solder ring. Installation of asolder sleeve involves shrinking of the thermoplastic material andmelting of the solder ring; installation of a dead end sleeve involvesshrinking of the thermoplastic material. As used herein, “melting asolder sleeve” includes shrinking the thermoplastic material withmelting of a solder ring, while “shrinking a sleeve” includes shrinkingthe thermoplastic material with (e.g., solder sleeve) or without (e.g.,dead end sleeve) melting of a solder ring.

In accordance with some embodiments proposed herein, the apparatusconsists of a set of funnels designed to thread cables with exposedshields through solder sleeves. These funnels are designed with a slitopening that permits cables to exit the funnel without having to fullyretract back through the funnel. The funnel system is designed such thata cable with exposed shielding can be fed through a solder sleevewithout damaging the shield. For example, three different funnels may bedesigned to accommodate five different sizes of solder sleeves. A soldersleeve to be installed is fed onto the prongs extending from a funneldesigned for that solder sleeve's size; the prongs are designed to havea diameter that is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of thesolder sleeve, so that the sleeve can still slide over the prongswithout the prongs taking up too much space inside the sleeve. Thefunnel and prongs are not completely closed; there is an opening thatpermits the cable to be removed from the system without passing thesolder sleeve through the funnel. This feature accommodates cables tostill be fed through a funnel prior to the time a solder sleeve ismelted in place; the solder sleeve increases the overall outer diameterof the cable, so the cable is unable to pass back through the funnelagain. However, the slit opening in the top of the funnel (hereinafter“open-top funnel”) permits the cable to be lifted out of the funnel. Theinside diameter of each funnel is sized large enough to accommodate anycable approved for a solder sleeve of a particular size.

The apparatus described in the immediately preceding paragraph furtherincludes a robotic end effector comprising a pair of grippers designedto pick and place solder sleeves of multiple sizes. The grippers areconfigured to grip the portions of the solder sleeve that exist betweenthe insulation rings and central solder ring, which features possess alarger outer diameter. By gripping the portions of the sleeve with asmaller outer diameter, the sleeve is held securely in place withoutslipping. Additionally, if it is desired to apply heat to the soldersleeve while it is held by the grippers, the portions of the soldersleeve requiring the least amount of heat to shrink are covered by thegrippers, leaving the insulation rings and solder ring exposed.

The apparatus disclosed herein may be incorporated in an automatedproduction line that includes a cable delivery system and a multiplicityof workstations situated accessible to the cable delivery system. In theautomated production line, each workstation is equipped with arespective cable processing module (including hardware and software)that performs a respective specific operation in a sequence ofoperations designed to produce a shielded cable having a solder sleeveinstalled on one end of the cable. One of the workstations has thesolder sleeve installation apparatus disclosed in detail below.

Although various embodiments of methods and apparatus for installing asleeve on a cable will be described in some detail below, one or more ofthose embodiments may be characterized by one or more of the followingaspects.

One aspect of the subject matter disclosed in detail below is anapparatus for installing a sleeve on a cable, the apparatus comprising:a funnel having a channel that narrows in width from an entry side to anexit side; a funnel extension attached to or integrally formed with thefunnel and extending from the exit side of the funnel, the funnelextension comprising a prong configured to fit between a cable and asleeve that surrounds the cable; a robotic arm; an end effector mountedto the robotic arm and configured to grip the sleeve when in a closedstate; and a computer system configured to control movements of therobotic arm and a state of the end effector in accordance with a programin which the end effector picks up the sleeve, then places the sleeve onthe prong and then, after a delay of sufficient duration to enable anend of the cable to pass through the funnel and the sleeve, moves thesleeve off the prong to a zone at a distance from the funnel extension.

The apparatus described in the immediately preceding paragraph may beused in various applications. For example, the apparatus may furthercomprise a heater capable of producing enough heat to melt material ofthe sleeve in a heating zone at a distance from the funnel extension, inwhich case the computer system is further configured to control theheater to produce heat in the heating zone sufficient to melt the sleeveon the cable. As used herein, the term “heating zone” means a volume ofspace which receives heat from the heater and is partly occupied by thesleeve and the portion of the cable inside the sleeve.

In accordance with some embodiments, the cable is a shielded cablehaving an exposed shield, the sleeve is a solder sleeve comprising asolder ring and a pair of insulating rings, and the solder sleeve ismelted over the exposed shield. The end effector is configured to gripthe solder sleeve between the solder ring and the insulating rings whenin a closed state.

In accordance with one embodiment, the channel of the funnel is open,and the system further comprises: a linear actuator having a retractedstate and an extended state; and a lever arm mounted to the linearactuator, the lever arm being movable upward along a path that engagesthe cable when the linear actuator transitions from the retracted stateto the extended state, thereby lifting the cable out of the funnelextension. The computer is further configured to send a control signalto activate the linear actuator to transition from the retracted stateto the extended state after the sleeve has been moved to the heatingzone at a distance from the funnel.

Another aspect of the subject matter disclosed in detail below is anapparatus for processing a cable comprising: a heater capable ofproducing enough heat to melt a material in a form of a sleeve; a pairof wheels arranged to form a nip capable of moving a cable therethrough;a motor operatively coupled to at least one of the pair of wheels fordriving rotation of the wheels; a funnel configured to guide the cablefrom an entry side to an exit side; a funnel extension attached to orintegrally formed with the funnel and extending from the exit side ofthe funnel, the funnel extension comprising a prong configured to fitbetween the cable and the sleeve; and a computer configured to performthe following operations: activate the motor to drive rotation of thewheels in a cable pushing direction to cause a length of cable to beinserted into the funnel; control the heater to melt the sleeve on aportion of the length of cable that extends beyond the funnel extension;and activate the motor to drive rotation of the wheels in a cablepulling direction after melting the sleeve.

In accordance with some embodiments, the apparatus described in theimmediately preceding paragraph further comprises: a robotic arm; an endeffector mounted to the robotic arm and configured to grip the sleevewhen in a closed state; and a robot controller configured to controlmovements of the robotic arm and a state of the end effector inaccordance with a program in which the end effector picks up the sleeve,then places the sleeve on the prong and later removes the sleeve fromthe prong. In these embodiments, the apparatus further comprises a coverhaving one end attached to the end effector, wherein the prong has anopen top and the cover is configured to cover the open top of the prongwhen the sleeve is placed on the prong.

In accordance with one embodiment, the funnel is a split funnelcomprising first and second funnel halves, the split funnel having anopen state in which the first and second funnel halves are separated bya gap and a closed state in which the first and second funnel halves arein contact with each other. In this case, the apparatus furthercomprises an actuator for selectively moving one or both of the firstand second funnel halves to achieve a transition between the open andclosed states. The computer is further configured to activate theactuator to move the first and second funnel halves away from each otherbefore activating the motor to drive rotation of the wheels in the cablepulling direction.

A further aspect of the subject matter disclosed in detail below is amethod for processing a shielded cable comprising: (a) roboticallypicking up a sleeve, transporting the sleeve to a vicinity of first andsecond prongs of a funnel extension, and placing the sleeve on the firstand second prongs; (b) passing an end of the cable through a funnel,between the first and second prongs and through the sleeve until aspecified portion of the cable is positioned in a processing zoneseparated from the ends of the first and second prongs by a distance;(c) robotically moving the sleeve from a position in contact with thefirst and second prongs to a position in the processing zone whereat thesleeve surrounds the specified portion of the cable; and (d) processingthe sleeve in the processing zone while the sleeve surrounds thespecified portion of the cable. Step (c) may occur after (the sleeve ismoved after the cable has stopped moving) or during step (b) (the sleeveand surrounded portion of the cable are moved in unison to theprocessing zone). In one application, step (d) comprises generating heatin the processing zone until the sleeve melts on the cable.

In accordance with some embodiments of the method described in theimmediately preceding paragraph, the funnel has an open top, and themethod further comprises lifting the cable up until no portion of thecable is between the first and second prongs. In accordance with otherembodiments, the funnel comprises funnel halves, and the method furthercomprises separating the funnel halves to enable the melted sleeve topass between the separated funnel halves when the cable is retracted.

Yet another aspect of the subject matter disclosed in detail below is amethod for processing a shielded cable, the method comprising: placing aportion of the shielded cable between a pair of wheels that form a nip;robotically placing a sleeve on an extension of a funnel having an entryside that faces the nip; driving rotation of the wheels in a cablepushing direction to cause an end of the shielded cable to move throughthe funnel until an exposed shield of the shielded cable is positionedin a heating zone at a distance from the funnel; robotically moving thesleeve from the extension of the funnel to a position in the heatingzone; and heating the sleeve in the heating zone until material of thesleeve is melted over the exposed shield.

Other aspects of methods and apparatus for installing a sleeve on acable are disclosed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features, functions and advantages discussed in the precedingsection may be achieved independently in various embodiments or may becombined in yet other embodiments. Various embodiments will behereinafter described with reference to drawings for the purpose ofillustrating the above-described and other aspects. None of the diagramsbriefly described in this section are drawn to scale.

In addition, the depiction of shielded cabling in the drawings has beensimplified by assuming that the cable being viewed in the drawing has acircular outer profile of constant diameter along its length, althoughsome shielded cabling having a jacket that conforms to the undulationsin the electrical wires has an outer profile that varies along itslength.

FIG. 1 is a diagram representing and identifying components of anautomated system for performing respective operations on an end of acable at a plurality of cable processing modules in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrams representing top views of a cable-carrying,drive wheel-equipped pallet in two states: when the drive wheel isseparated from an idler wheel (FIG. 2A) and when the drive wheel is incontact with the idler wheel (FIG. 2B).

FIG. 3 is a diagram representing a top view of the pallet depicted inFIG. 2B in a position adjacent a cable processing module where a tip ofthe cable is positioned in front of a funnel.

FIG. 4A is a diagram representing a side view of a cable-carrying, drivewheel-equipped pallet in a position adjacent a cable processing module.

FIG. 4B is a diagram representing a top view of the apparatus depictedin FIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram identifying components of a cable processingworkstation in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a diagram representing a side view of a portion of a cablehaving an unjacketed end with an exposed shield that has been trimmed.

FIG. 7A is a diagram representing a side view of the solder sleevehaving a pre-installed ground wire.

FIG. 7B is a diagram representing a side view of the solder sleevedepicted in FIG. 7A when overlying a portion of the cable that includesexposed shielding.

FIG. 7C is a diagram representing a side view of the solder sleevedepicted in FIG. 7A when installed by melting on the portion of thecable that includes exposed shielding.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams representing a side view of a portion of asleeve-cable assembly having an “out front” solder sleeve before (FIG.8A) and after melting (FIG. 8B).

FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams representing a side view of a portion of asleeve-cable assembly having an “out back” solder sleeve before (FIG.9A) and after melting (FIG. 9B).

FIG. 10A is a diagram showing a view of a portion of an end effector inaccordance with one embodiment having two pairs of prongs gripping asolder sleeve.

FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a view of an end effector having a pair ofsleeve gripper fingers and respective pairs of prongs attached to thegripper fingers.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a view of some components of a cableprocessing module including a set of three open-top funnels designed tothread cables with exposed shields through solder sleeves of differentsizes.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a view of the components depicted in FIG.11 , with the addition of an end effector having fingers that grip thesleeve of the sleeve-cable assembly and a cover plate that covers theopen top of the central funnel.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a view of the components depicted in FIG.11 at an instant in time after a solder sleeve has been placed on afunnel extension and a cable has been passed through the open-top funneland the solder sleeve as part of an automated solder sleeve installationoperation.

FIG. 14 is a diagram representing a view of an apparatus for melting asolder sleeve onto a portion of a cable having exposed shielding usinghot air as part of an automated solder sleeve installation operation.

FIG. 15 is a diagram representing a view of an infrared heater inposition to melt a solder sleeve onto a portion of a cable havingexposed shielding as part of an automated solder sleeve installationoperation.

FIGS. 16A through 16D are diagrams showing a sleeve-cable assembly atrespective instances in time after a solder sleeve has been melted on acable: (a) before the sleeve-cable assembly is lifted upward (FIG. 16A);(b) during lifting of the sleeve-cable assembly (FIG. 16B); (c) duringretraction of the sleeve-cable assembly after lifting (FIG. 16C); and(c) during further retraction of the sleeve-cable assembly (FIG. 16D).

FIG. 17 is a diagram s representing a front view of a lever arm of acable lift mechanism in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 18A is a diagram representing a top view of an open-top funnelhaving a funnel extension in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 18B is a diagram representing a top view of the open-top funneldepicted in FIG. 18A with a sleeve-cable assembly overlying and alignedwith an open channel that extends through the funnel and funnelextension.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are diagrams representing a top view of a split funnelin open (FIG. 19A) and closed (FIG. 19B) states respectively.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart identifying steps of a method for picking,placing and melting a solder sleeve on a shielded cable in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram identifying some components of an automatedsystem for picking, placing and melting a solder sleeve on a shieldedcable in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart identifying steps of a method for controlling asystem having a plurality of workstations for performing a sequence ofoperations for installing a solder sleeve on an end of a cable inaccordance with one embodiment.

Reference will hereinafter be made to the drawings in which similarelements in different drawings bear the same reference numerals.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Illustrative embodiments of methods and apparatus for installing asleeve on a cable are described in some detail below. However, not allfeatures of an actual implementation are described in thisspecification. A person skilled in the art will appreciate that in thedevelopment of any such actual embodiment, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedeveloper's specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effortmight be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routineundertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure.

For the purpose of illustration, various embodiments of an apparatus forinstalling a solder sleeve on a shielded cable will now be described.Such an apparatus may be included in cable processing equipment at oneor more modules at separate workstations in a fully automated productionline or may be benchtop cable processing equipment (e.g., equipmentmounted on a workbench and accessible to a human operator).

As used herein, the term “tip of a cable” means a portion of a cableexposed by cutting the cable in a cross-sectional plane. As used herein,the term “end of a cable” means a section of cable having a tip and alength of cable extending from the tip. For example, removal of a lengthof the jacket of a cable that extends to the cable tip creates an end ofthe cable in which the shielding is exposed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram representing and identifying components of a system110 for performing respective operations on an end of a cable 10. Thesystem 110 includes a cable delivery system 60 cable delivery system 60.For example, the cable delivery system 60 may take the form of aconveyor system with locating modules (not shown in FIG. 1 ). Locatingmodules are components for positioning pallets in preparation forperformance of an automated operation. In accordance with the embodimentdepicted in FIG. 1 , the cable delivery system 60 cable delivery system60 includes a conveyor track 62 in the form of an endless belt or chain.The entire conveyor track 62 is continuously moving. In alternativeembodiments, the cable delivery system 60 is not endless, in which casepallets 64 arriving at the end of a linear conveyor track may betransported to the starting point by other means. In accordance withalternative embodiments, the cable delivery system 60 may be a gantryrobot or a robotic arm.

The system 110 depicted in FIG. 1 further includes a multiplicity ofautomated workstations situated adjacent to and spaced at intervalsalong the conveyor track 62. Each workstation is equipped with hardwarethat performs a respective specific operation in a sequence ofoperations designed to produce a shielded cable 10 having a soldersleeve 12 installed on one end of the cable 10. The locating modules(not shown in FIG. 1 ) of the system 110 are used to lift each pallet 64off of the conveyor track 62 when an operation has to be performed at aworkstation on the coil carried by that pallet 64 and later place thepallet 64 back on the conveyor track 62 after the operation has beencompleted so that the pallet 64 can move onto the next workstation.

Each pallet 64 carries a respective coil of cable 10. Pallets 64 moveintermittently along the conveyor track 62 in the forward directionindicated by the arrows in FIG. 1 , advancing from one automatedworkstation to the next and then stopping. (This aspect of the cabledelivery system 60 will be referred to hereinafter as “pulsing”.) Arespective bar code reader (not shown in the drawings) is mounted on theside of the conveyor track 62 opposite to each workstation. Each pallet64 has a bar code printed on a forward side portion thereof. When thebar code reader detects the arrival of a pallet 64, each workstation hasa respective controller (e.g., a computer programmed to execute computernumeric control (CNC) commands) that activates the cable processingmodule of that workstation to begin an automated cable processingoperation.

Each shielded cable 10 to be processed is carried on a respective pallet64 that is conveyed along the conveyor track 62. The pallets 64 pulsedown the conveyor track 62 and the end of each shielded cable 10 isinserted into a series of cable processing modules in sequence, eachcable processing module including cable processing equipment forperforming successive operations of a solder sleeve installationprocess. In accordance with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 , thecable processing modules include the following: a de-reeler module 32, alaser marker 34, a coiler module 36, a cable tip positioning module 38,a laser scoring module 40, a jacket slug pulling module 42, a shieldtrimming module 44, a shield trim inspection module 46, two soldersleeve installation modules 52 and 54 (also referred to herein as“solder sleeve pick, place and melt modules”), and a ground wiredetection module 58. In accordance with the proposed implementationdepicted in FIG. 1 , there are three open positions where cableprocessing does not occur. These open positions, where a pallet may beparked, are referred to herein as buffers 48, 50 and 56.

As indicated in FIG. 1 by triangle symbols, some of the workstationsinclude funnels 22 which center the inserted end of the cable 10 in thecable processing equipment at the respective workstation. Otherworkstations, such as the workstation where the cable tip positioningmodule 38 is located, do not have a funnel. The workstations where thetwo solder sleeve installation modules 52 and 54 are located haveopen-top funnels 170, which also guide the end of the cable 10, butdiffer in structure from the funnels 22 in that the cable may be liftedvertically out of the open-top funnel 170 upon completion of the soldersleeve melting operation. In accordance with alternative embodimentsdescribed in some detail later, split funnels 171 of the type depictedin FIGS. 19A and 19B may be used.

Each of the automated cable processing operations identified in FIG. 1will now be briefly described in some detail. The respective cableprocessing modules will be described in the order in which therespective cable processing operations are performed on one cable.

The starting material is a continuous length of multi-conductor shieldedcable of a particular type wound on a reel. The de-reeler module 32de-reels the continuous length of cable and then cuts the cable to aspecified length, which length of cable will be referred to hereinafteras “cable 10”. Preferably a multi-spool de-reeler is used so thatmultiple cable types can be selected for processing off of a singlemachine. For each length of cable 10, the laser marker 34 laser marksthe outer jacket 2 of the cable 10 with pertinent information (bundlenumber, wire number, gauge).

The coiler module 36 receives each length of cable 10 from the de-reelermodule 32 and laser marker 34 and coils the cable 10. This creates arepeatable configuration for the cable that is easy to transport andmaintain as it goes through the system. The coiler module 36 coilscables 10 and applies a sticker label. This label contains informationabout the cable (e.g., airplane effectivity, bundle, dash, wireidentification, etc.), as well as a bar code. In accordance with oneproposed implementation, the coiler module 36 ensures that one end ofthe coiled cable 10 has seven inches of “free” cable.

The coil of cable 10 is taken off of the coiler and placed on a pallet64. The pallet 64 is then transferred from the coiler module 36 to thecable tip positioning module 38. This may be done manually by anoperator or automatically by a robotic end effector (or some otherapparatus).

The cable tip positioning module 38 serves to initially position the tipof the cable 10 at a preset cable tip position prior to the cable 10continuing through the system 110. It is the first “stop” along theconveyor track 62, and is where the cable 10 is first placed onto thesystem. The preset cable tip position is selected to prevent the cableend from being too long as it travels along the conveyor track (hittingother objects within the system, being crushed or otherwise damaged,etc.). After the cable tip positioning module 38 has positioned thecable tip 10 b at the preset cable tip position, the pallet 64 leavesthe cable tip positioning module 38.

In accordance with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 , after the cabletip positioning module 38 has positioned the cable tip 10 b, the pallet64 moves to the laser scoring module 40. The workstation where the laserscoring module 40 is located also includes a funnel 22 for guiding acable 10 into the cable processing equipment of the laser scoring module40. The laser scoring module 40 lightly scores the jacket 2 of the cable10 along a score line 3 which extends circumferentially in a plane thatintersects an annular region of the jacket 2. The presence of the laserscore line 3 prepares the applicable segment of jacket 2 (hereinafter“the jacket slug 2 a”) to be removed.

After the laser scoring module 40 has scored the jacket 2 of the cable10, the pallet 64 moves to the jacket slug pulling module 42. Theworkstation where the jacket slug pulling module 42 is located alsoincludes a funnel 22 for guiding a cable 10 into the cable processingequipment of the jacket slug pulling module 42. The jacket slug pullingmodule 42 removes the jacket slug 2 a to reveal the shield 4 in theunjacketed portion of the cable 10. An electrical continuity shieldsensor (not separately depicted in FIG. 1 ) may be integrated with thejacket slug pulling module 42 to detect that the jacket slug 2 a wasremoved prior to retracting the cable 10 from the jacket slug pullingmodule 42.

After the jacket slug pulling module 42 has pulled off the jacket slug 2a of the cable 10, the pallet 64 moves to the shield trimming module 44.The workstation where the shield trimming module 44 is located alsoincludes a funnel 22 for guiding a cable 10 into the cable processingequipment of the shield trimming module 44. The shield trimming module44 trims off a portion of the exposed portion of the shield 4 to revealrespective portions of the wires 6 and 8 of the cable 10. In accordancewith one proposed implementation, the shield trimming module 44 trimsthe shield 4 of the cable 10 about 0.25″ from the edge of the jacket 2.

After the shield trimming module 44 has trimmed the shield 4 of thecable 10, the pallet 64 moves to the shield trim inspection module 46.The workstation where the shield trim inspection module 46 is locatedalso includes a funnel 22 for guiding a cable 10 into the cableprocessing equipment of the shield trim inspection module 46. The shieldtrim inspection module 46 performs a quality check of the trimmed shieldusing a vision inspection system. The quality check ensures that theshield 4 meets the specifications for the particular type of cable 10(e.g., shield strands are not too long or too short, not damaged, etc.)prior to installing a solder sleeve 12.

After the shield trim inspection module 46 has inspected the trimmedshield 4 of the cable 10, the pallet 64 moves to one of two soldersleeve installation modules 52 and 54. The workstations where the soldersleeve installation modules 52 and 54 are located also include anopen-top funnel 170 for guiding a cable 10 into the cable processingequipment of the solder sleeve installation modules 52 and 54. Thesolder sleeve installation modules 52 and 54 are configured to install asolder sleeve 12 with a ground wire 14 onto the cable 10 using automatedpicking, placing and melting operations. Each solder sleeve installationmodules preferably includes a sensor system that actively measures thediameter of the cable with solder sleeve and monitors the shrinkingdiameter of the solder sleeve during the melting process usingdimensional analysis. The sensor system activates or deactivates theheating element based on the dimensional analysis of the solder sleeve;this may also control the transportation of the cables through thedevice.

Solder sleeves are limited in how quickly they are able to fully meltwithout burning due to their design and materials. The type of heatsource used (hot air, infrared) has no significant impact on the melttime. This creates a bottleneck on the moving line, due to the fact thatall processes prior to the solder sleeve melting operation take muchless time to complete, and limits the lowest achievable cycle time ofthe overall line.

In accordance with one proposed implementation, two cables 10 may havesolder sleeves installed concurrently using the two solder sleeveinstallation modules 52 and 54. After the solder sleeve 12 has beeninstalled on the cable 10 by one of the solder sleeve installationmodules 52 and 54, the pallet 64 moves to ground wire detection module58. The workstation where the ground wire detection module 58 is locatedalso includes a funnel 22 for guiding a cable 10 into the cableprocessing equipment of the ground wire detection module 58. The groundwire detection module 58 detects the ground wire 14 of the solder sleeve12. This may be done through physical sensing or an electricalcontinuity test, all of which are commercially available off the shelf.

As seen in FIG. 1 , the cable delivery system 60 includes multiplepallets 64 that travel on the conveyor track 62, each pallet 64 carryinga respective coil of cable 10. In accordance with some embodiments, theapparatus on the pallet 64 includes a pair of cable-displacing wheels(e.g., a motor-driven drive wheel and a spring-loaded idler wheel thatis movable between positions that are respectively in contact with andnot in contact with the motor-driven drive wheel) designed to push andpull cables through a cable-guiding funnel which centers the cable forinsertion into the cable processing equipment. The ability of the driveand idler wheels to move apart enables wires or cables of varyingdiameters and cross-sectional profiles to be placed between the driveand idler wheels. This apparatus is intended to be universal, i.e., tobe able to be used on any equipment (including benchtop equipment) thatprocesses wires and/or cables. Additionally, a user would be able todefine the amount (length) of cable that is fed into the equipment,depending on the cable that is to be processed and its relatedrequirements.

Some features of a pallet 64 in accordance with one embodiment will nowbe described with reference to FIGS. 2A and 2B; other features of thepallet 64 not shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B will be described later withreference to other drawings. As seen in FIGS. 2A and 2B, each pallet 64has a drive wheel 16 and an idler wheel 18 which are rotatably coupledto the pallet 64. The drive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18 are preferablypadded with a compliant material capable of conforming to differentcross-sectional profiles (e.g., single-versus multi-conductor cable). Anencoder may be attached to one or both of the wheels in order to moreaccurately track how far the cable 10 has been moved by the wheels. Theencoder tracks the “distance traveled” of a drive roller by multiplyingthe number of rotations by the circumference of the drive wheel 16.

The pallet 64 also includes a corral 66 in the form of a curved wallthat is contoured to guide the cable end 10 a toward the drive wheel 16and idler wheel 18. The drive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18 cooperate tomove the cable end 10 a into and out of an adjacent cable processingmodule 30. FIGS. 2A and 2B show the pallet 64 in two states: when thedrive wheel 16 is separated from the idler wheel 18 (FIG. 2A) and whenthe drive wheel 16 is in contact with the idler wheel 18 (FIG. 2B).

As seen in FIG. 2A, the free end 10 a of the cable 10 is placed betweenthe drive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18 so that the cable tip 10 b is at aposition in front of the nip, while the cable 10 is intersected by avertical scanning plane 11 (indicated by a dashed line in FIGS. 2A and2B) located at a known position. This known position is a known distancefrom a preset cable tip position. Although FIG. 2A shows the cable tip10 b located beyond the vertical scanning plane 11, the startingposition of the cable tip 10 b may be either beyond or short of thevertical scanning plane 11.

The force holding the idler wheel 18 apart from drive wheel 16 is thendiscontinued, following which the idler wheel 18 is urged by springs(not shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B) into contact with the drive wheel 16,thereby forming a nip that squeezes the shielded cable 10. As will bedescribed in further detail below, the drive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18are configured so that sufficient frictional forces are produced thatenable the shielded cable 10 to be either pushed or pulled through thenip depending on the directions of wheel rotation. Upon detection of thepresence of the cable tip 102 b at a position beyond the verticalscanning plane 11, the drive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18 are rotated ina cable pulling direction to cause the cable end 10 a to retract and thecable tip 10 b to move toward the vertical scanning plane 11.Conversely, if the cable tip 102 b were at a position short of thevertical scanning plane 11 (hereinafter “scanning plane 11”), the drivewheel 16 and idler wheel 18 would be rotated in a cable pushingdirection to cause the cable end 10 a to extend and the cable tip 10 bto move toward the scanning plane 11. The remainder of the descriptionof FIGS. 2A and 2B will discuss the case wherein the cable end 10 a isinitially placed in a position such that the cable tip 102 b is beyond(not short of) the scanning plane 11

The movement of the cable tip 10 b is monitored by detecting when thecable tip 10 b reaches the scanning plane 11. This is accomplished by aphotoelectric sensor (not shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, but seephotoelectric sensor 28 in FIGS. 4A and 4B) mounted to the pallet 64 andconfigured to function as a light gate. In accordance with someembodiments, the photoelectric sensor 28 is configured to act as a lightgate that detects when there is no portion of the cable 10 blocking alight beam propagating in the scanning plane 11 from one side of thelight gate to the other side. FIG. 2B shows the state wherein the cabletip 10 b is aligned with the scanning plane 11 following retraction ofthe cable end 10 a. In response to the photoelectric sensor 28 detectinga transition between a state of light being interrupted (e.g., blocked)in the scanning plane 11 and a state of light not being interrupted, thephotoelectric sensor 28 issues a cable tip position signal indicatingthe transition between interruption and no interruption of transmittedlight at the scanning plane. In response to issuance of the cable tipposition signal, the computer of the cable positioning module activatesa motor (not shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, but see motor 72 in FIGS. 4A and4B) to rotate the drive wheel 16 an amount and in a direction such thatat the end of the rotation, the cable 10 does not extend beyond a presetcable tip position. This preset cable tip position is a known distancefrom the scanning plane 11. The preset cable tip position may beselected to ensure that the cable tip 10 b may travel along the conveyortrack 62 with sufficient clearance to avoid damage from stationaryobjects.

The cable tip positioning module 38 includes a computer system (notshown in FIG. 3 . The cable tip positioning signal from thephotoelectric sensor 28 is received by the computer 162 a. The computer162 a is configured to de-activate the motor 72 that drives rotation ofthe drive wheel 16 (thereby ceasing driving rotation of the drive wheel16 in the cable pulling direction) after a predetermined angularrotation of the drive wheel 16 subsequent to issuance of the cable tipposition signal. In other words, there is a time delay during which thedrive wheel 16 and idler wheel continue to move the cable end 10 a,causing the cable tip 10 b to move from the current position depicted inFIG. 2B (in this instance, corresponding to the position of the scanningplane 11) to a preset cable tip position a short distance (e.g., 0.5inch) from the scanning plane 11. More specifically, the computer 162 ais configured to start a count of pulses output by a rotation encoder(mounted on the drive wheel shaft 88 or the motor output shaft, forexample) in response to issuance of the cable tip position signal andthen de-activate the motor 72 in response to the count reaching aspecified value representing the distance separating the preset cabletip position from the scanning plane 11.

In accordance with an alternative embodiment, the preset cable tipposition and the position of the scanning plane may be one and the same,provided that the movement of the cable 10 can be stopped precisely atthe instant in time when the photoelectric sensor 28 issues the cabletip position signal.

The above-described cable tip positioning process ensures that the cabletip 10 b is in a repeatable position and does not extend beyond thepreset cable tip position prior to continuing down the conveyor track62. At this juncture, the conveyor track 62 pulses forward, causing thepallet to move to the next workstation.

FIG. 3 is a diagram representing a top view of the pallet 64 in aposition adjacent a cable processing module 30. The apparatus includes adrive wheel 16 and an idler wheel 18 configured for driving the cable 10forwards or backwards between the wheels and a funnel 22 capable ofcapturing the cable end 10 a. While the wheels control the motion of thecable 10, the funnel 22 serves to center the cable 10 for insertion intothe cable processing equipment. This function will be used to insert andposition the cable 10 into different modules for processing as the cable10 is transported through the system.

More specifically, the cable tip 10 b is positioned in front of a funnel22 that is configured to center a cable end 10 a as it is fed into thecable processing equipment 24 of a cable processing module 30. Eachcable processing module 30 is equipped with a funnel 22 (or an open-topfunnel not shown) and a photoelectric sensor (not shown in FIG. 3 , butsee photoelectric sensor 28 in FIG. 5 ) for detecting the presence ofthe cable tip 10 b in a scanning plane 11 (indicated by a dashed line inFIG. 3 ). It is important that the interior surface of the funnel 22 besmooth and devoid of any rough or sharp edges that may abrade, tear, orotherwise damage the cable 10. Preferably the funnel 22 is made of athermoplastic material with a low coefficient of friction to prevent thefunnel 22 from slowing the cable 10 down as it is moved by the drivewheel 16 and idler wheel 18 (preventing slippage). The funnel 22 may beconfigured in different ways. In lieu of a basic hole on the exit sideof the funnel 22 (small diameter side), the funnel 22 may have aflexible piece of material featuring an X-shaped cut centered within thefunnel 22. This helps to provide a repeatable, centered position for thecable 10 as it is either pushed forward or pulled back. It also permitsthe cable-guiding funnel to accurately center cables with varyingdiameters and cross sectional profiles. Other cable-guiding funnels mayalso be split and/or feature an open top.

In accordance with some embodiments, each workstation includes astationary motor (not shown in FIG. 3 , but see motor 72 in FIGS. 4A and4B). In accordance with one proposed implementation, the motor 72 is anelectric stepper motor. The motor shaft speed will control how fast thedrive wheel rotates (the speed at which the end of the cable 10 ismoved), as well as which directions the wheels rotate in. The motor 72is configured to rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise.

In response to detection of the arrival of the pallet 64 at the cableprocessing module 30 by a pallet detector (not shown in FIG. 3 , but seepallet detector 160 in FIG. 5 ), the motor 72 is operatively coupled tothe drive wheel 16. Subsequently the motor 72 is activated to drive thedrive wheel 16 to rotate in the cable pushing direction. The shaft ofthe motor 72 is optionally equipped with a rotation encoder 73 (see FIG.5 ) for determining the angular rotation of the drive wheel 16. Duringrotation of the drive wheel 16 in the cable pushing direction, therotation encoder 73 tracks the rotation of the motor shaft to generatedigital position information representing the length of cable 10 whichhas been fed past the scanning plane 11.

When a pallet 64 stops at the cable processing module 30, the drivewheel 16 and idler wheel 18 are driven to rotate in a cable pushingdirection to cause the cable tip 10 b to pass the photoelectric sensor28, through the funnel 22, and into the cable processing equipment 24.Once the photoelectric sensor 28 is triggered, the rotation encoder 73will begin to record the position of the cable tip 10 b. This provides away to track the inserted length of the cable 10 in real time, andsubsequently cause the motor 72 to stop once the correct length of cable10 has been fed into the cable processing equipment 24. The drive wheel16 and idler wheel 18 continue to rotate in the cable pushing directionuntil a specified length of cable 10 has been inserted into the cableprocessing equipment 24 via the funnel 22.

FIG. 4A is a diagram representing a side view of a pallet 64 in aposition adjacent a cable processing module 30, which pallet 64 isequipped with a reelette 26 for holding a coil of cable 10 and a drivewheel 16 (not visible in FIG. 4A) for feeding an end of the cable 10into the cable processing module 30 in accordance with a furtherembodiment. FIG. 4B shows a top view of the pallet 64 in a positionadjacent the cable processing module 30. The pallet 64 further includesa cable positioning mechanism 19 that is controlled to place the tip 10b of the cable 10 at a repeatable position at each cable processingmodule 30.

As seen in FIG. 4A, the cable processing module 30 is mounted on astationary plate 68. A stanchion 70 is affixed to the stationary plate68 in a position in front of the cable processing module 30. A motor 72is mounted to a base 70 a of the stanchion 70. The motor 72 has anoutput shaft 74 which drives rotation of the drive wheel 16 (not visiblebehind the idler wheel 18 in FIG. 4A). In addition, a photoelectricsensor 28 is mounted to an upright portion 70 b of the stanchion 70. Thephotoelectric sensor 28 is placed at an elevation such that thephotoelectric sensor 28 is able to detect the cable tip 10 b when itpasses through a scanning plane 11 (indicated by a dashed line in FIGS.4A and 4B) during cable pushing.

In accordance with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4A, each coil ofcable 10 is individually wound onto its own reelette 26, which reelette26 is supported by and rotatably coupled to the pallet 64. The corral 66(see in FIGS. 2A-2C) is not shown in FIG. 4A so that the reelette 26 isvisible. The reelette 26 has an opening (not shown in FIG. 4A) on itsouter periphery through which a portion of the cable 10 (including cableend 10 a) passes. FIG. 4A shows a state in which the cable end 10 a isdisposed between rotating drive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18 (drive wheel16 is located directly behind the idler wheel 18 and not visible in FIG.4A), while the cable tip 10 b is moving in a direction (indicated by anarrow in FIG. 4A) toward the cable processing module 30.

FIG. 4B shows a top view of the pallet 64 when the cable tip 10 b ispositioned at a scanning plane 11 of the photoelectric sensor 28. Thedouble-headed straight arrow superimposed on the idler wheel 18indicates that the idler wheel 18 is laterally movable away from andtoward the drive wheel 16. Meanwhile the curved arrows superimposed onthe drive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18 are intended to indicate that thedrive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18 are rotating in a cable pushingdirection. At the instant of time depicted in FIG. 4B, the cable tip 10b is positioned at the scanning plane 11 and is moving toward the cableprocessing module 30.

The cable processing module 30 includes a computer (not shown in FIGS.4A and 4B) FIG. 5 is a block diagram identifying some components of acable processing workstation in accordance with one embodiment. Aspreviously described, each cable processing workstation includes afunnel 22 and cable processing equipment 24 (not shown in FIG. 5 , butsee FIG. 3 ). The cable processing workstation further includes acomputer 162 that is configured to control various actuators and motorsby executing pre-programmed sequences of machine control commands, suchas computer numerical control commands. FIG. 5 depicts an examplewherein the computer 162 is programmed to send control signals tovarious electrically controlled valves 80 which may be opened to supplycompressed air from a compressed air supply 82 to one or more of amultiplicity of pneumatic cylinders 84, 86 and 88. The pneumaticcylinders 84, 86 and 88 may be used to move various components of thecable processing equipment 24. In alternative embodiments, the pneumaticcylinders may be replaced by electric motors.

The cable processing workstation depicted in FIG. 5 further includes amotor 72 and a rotation encoder 73 operatively coupled to the outputshaft 74 of the motor 72. The rotation encoder 73 generates pulses whichthe computer 162 is configured to count for the purpose of determiningthe number of degrees of motor output shaft rotation, which angularmeasurement in turns represents a distance traveled by the cable tip 10b during that output shaft rotation. The computer 162 also receivessensor feedback from a photoelectric sensor 28 used to detect a cabletip position and a pallet detector 160 used to detect a pallet position.The computer 162 is configured to send commands to a motor controller164 for controlling the motor 72 in accordance with feedback fromphotoelectric sensor 28, rotation encoder 73 and pallet detector 160.

The computer 162 of each cable processing module 30 is configured toperform the following operations: activate the motor 72 to driverotation of the drive wheel 16 in a cable pushing direction to cause aspecified length of cable 10 to be inserted into the cable processingequipment 24; activate the cable processing equipment 24 to perform anoperation on the inserted cable end 10 a; and activate the motor 72 todrive rotation of the drive wheel 16 in a cable pulling direction tocause the specified length of cable 10 to be removed from the cableprocessing equipment 24.

Each workstation comprises a rotation encoder 73 configured to outputpulses representing the incremental angular rotations of an output shaftof the motor 72. The photoelectric sensor 28 is positioned andconfigured to issue a cable tip position signal indicating thatinterruption of transmitted light in the scanning plane 11 has started.In other words, the cable tip position signal is issued in response tothe photoelectric sensor 28 detecting that a state of light not beingblocked in the scanning plane 11 has transitioned to a state of lightbeing blocked. The computer 162 is further configured to start a countof pulses output by the rotation encoder 73 in response to the cable tipposition signal and then de-activate the motor 72 in response to thecount reaching a specified value corresponding to a specific targetlength of cable 10 having been inserted in the cable processingequipment 24.

The photoelectric sensor 28 that detects the position of the cable tip10 b in each cable processing module 30 may be of the same type as thephotoelectric sensor 28 incorporated in the cable tip positioning module38. For example, digital laser sensors of various types are suitable.Many adaptable options are available off the shelf, such as proximitysensors and vision sensors.

In accordance with some embodiments, the photoelectric sensor 28 used todetect cable tip position is of a type that is also capable of measuringthe diameter of the cable 10 to ensure that false positives are notcaused by fingers or other objects larger than the typical cablediameter. The diameter measurement may also be used to confirm that thecable 10 is of the type expected by the computer 162 of the cableprocessing module 30.

In accordance with one proposed implementation, the photoelectric sensor28 is a laser sensor of the “position recognition” type (a.k.a. a laserscan micrometer). In a laser scanner of this type, a scanning laser beamis emitted from a scanning light beam transmitter 28 a, which scanninglight beam scans in the scanning plane 11 and is then received by thelight-detecting sensor 28 b. In accordance with one embodiment, thelight-detecting sensor 28 b includes a linear array of light-detectingelements (e.g., a column of pixels in a charge coupled device). The areawhere the scanning laser beam is interrupted is identified clearly onthe light-detecting sensor 28 b. This type of laser sensor may be usedfor in-line cable tip position detection or cable outer diametermeasurement.

The computer 162 of the cable processing module 30 is further configuredto perform the following operations: compute a length of an interruptionin light received by the light-detecting sensor 28 b from the scanninglight beam transmitter 28 a; compare the computed length of theinterruption to reference data representing a diameter of the type ofcable 10 to be processed; and issue an alert signal when a difference ofthe computed length of the interruption and the reference data exceeds aspecified threshold.

In accordance with other embodiments, the above-described cablepositioning system may be used to position the tip of the cable atmultiple positions within any given processing module. Such featureallows multi-step processing within a single module. The tip of thecable, for example, could be positioned at multiple positions within thelaser scoring module 40 to allow the laser to score the cable inmultiple locations. For very long strip lengths (four inches forexample) the cable could be laser scored every inch. The jacket slugpulling module 42 would then pull of each one-inch slug one at a time(again using multi-step insertion). Thus the jacket puller only needs toovercome pull-off friction forces for one inch of jacket instead of fourinches of jacket.

Referring again to FIG. 1 , after the jacket slug pulling module 42 haspulled off the jacket slug 2 a of the cable 10, the pallet 64 moves tothe shield trimming module 44. The shield trimming module 44incorporates equipment for trimming off a portion of the exposed portionof the shield 4 to reveal respective end portions of the wires 6 and 8of the cable 10. After the shield trimming module 44 has trimmed theshield 4 of the cable 10, the pallet 64 moves to the shield triminspection module 46 (see FIG. 1 ). The shield trim inspection module 46performs a quality check of the trimmed shield using a vision inspectionsystem.

FIG. 6 is a diagram representing a side view of a portion of a cable 10having an unjacketed end with an exposed shield 4 that has been trimmed.The trimming of the shield 4 in turn exposes the wires 6 and 8 of thecable 10. The shield trim is inspected using a vision system thatincludes a camera system arranged to capture a 360-degree view of thetrimmed shield and a computer programmed to analyze the captured images.More specifically, the computer is configured to determine whetherexcessive gaps are present in the exposed shield (e.g., caused by brokenshield strands) or not. The evaluation system compares perceived gaps inthe image with a maximum allowable gap value to ensure that thepercentage of shield coverage is within the specified tolerance.

Shield coverage percentages below a specified minimum percentage ofcoverage indicate to the evaluation system that an unacceptable numberof shield strands may be broken. The computer may also be configured todetermine whether the length of the exposed shield on the cable iswithin an allowable range.

After the shield trim inspection module 46 has inspected the trimmedshield 4 of the cable 10, the pallet 64 moves to one of two soldersleeve installation modules 52 and 54 (see FIG. 1 ). The solder sleeveinstallation modules 52 and 54 are configured to install a solder sleeve12 with a ground wire 14 onto the cable 10 using automated picking,placing and melting operations.

FIG. 7A is a diagram representing a side view of a typical solder sleeve12 having a pre-installed ground wire 14. The solder sleeve 12 includesa sleeve 7 made of transparent, heat-shrinkable thermoplastic material.The internal diameter of the sleeve is greater than the outer diameterof the cable being processed. The solder sleeve 12 further includes acentral solder ring 9 adhered to the inside of the sleeve 7 at a centralposition and a pair of thermoplastic sealing rings 13 a and 13 b.

FIG. 7B is a diagram representing a side view of the solder sleeve 12depicted in FIG. 7A when placed in a position overlying a portion of acable 10 having a jacket 2 and an unjacketed portion where the shield 4is exposed. The exposed shield 4 is surrounded by the central solderring 9, which when melted and then solidified will form an electricalconnection between the shield 4 and the ground wire conductor strand 15.The sleeve 7 has not yet been melted.

FIG. 7C is a diagram representing a side view of the solder sleeve 12depicted in FIG. 7A after the solder sleeve 12 has been melted on thecable 10.

As disclosed above, the solder sleeve installation module 52 and 54 (seeFIG. 1 ) are each configured to install a solder sleeve 12 onto the endof a cable 10. The cable processing equipment of a solder sleeveinstallation module may be used to install a solder sleeve 12 (e.g., ofthe type described with reference to FIG. 7A) or a dead end sleeve madeof electrical insulation material only. Solder sleeves are melted andshrunk onto an end of a cable; a dead end sleeve is shrunk withoutmelting onto an end of a cable. Solder sleeves and dead end sleeves areseparated by part number and distributed onto different vibrationtables. (Vibration tables could be replaced with tape-and-reels orcartridges). If the solder sleeve is on a tape-and-reel or cartridge,the solder sleeve will be pushed out of the cavity (via pneumaticactuator, electric actuator, etc.) so that an end effector can grip it.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams representing a side view of a portion of asleeve-cable assembly 1 a having an “out front” solder sleeve 12. Thesleeve-cable assembly 1 a includes a solder sleeve 12 having a groundwire 14 that extends away from the jacket 2 of cable 10. The soldersleeve 12 is threaded onto the wires 6 and 8 until the solder sleeve 12is in a position surrounding the exposed shield 4. As seen in FIG. 8A,the “out front” solder sleeve 12 also surrounds an end segment of thejacket 2 and unshielded portions of wires 6 and 8. FIG. 8A showssleeve-cable assembly 1 a before the “out front” solder sleeve 12 ismelted on the cable 10. FIG. 8B shows sleeve-cable assembly 1 a afterthe “out front” solder sleeve 12 has been melted on the cable 10.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams representing a side view of a portion of asleeve-cable assembly 1 a having an “out back” solder sleeve 12. Thesleeve-cable assembly 1 a includes a solder sleeve 12 having a groundwire 14 that extends toward the jacket 2 of cable 10. The solder sleeve12 is threaded onto the wires 6 and 8 until the solder sleeve 12 is in aposition surrounding the exposed shield 4. FIG. 9A shows sleeve-cableassembly 1 a before the “out back” solder sleeve 12 is melted on thecable 10. FIG. 9B shows sleeve-cable assembly 1 a after the “out back”solder sleeve 12 has been melted on the cable 10.

At the start of a solder sleeve installation procedure, a robotic endeffector is controlled to move to whichever one of a plurality ofvibration tables (or other solder sleeve storage devices) has thecorrect type of solder sleeve 12 to be installed on the cable 10. Therobotic end effector picks up a solder sleeve and carries it to theapparatus depicted in FIGS. 11-14 . The robotic end effector has a pairof gripper fingers designed to grip a particular type of solder sleeve.The robotic end effector may be integrated onto a robotic arm or gantrywith a vision system that recognizes the solder sleeve, thereby enablingthe robot arm to be properly aligned when attempting to pick up thesleeve with a predetermined pigtail orientation. Pick and place visionsystems are commercially available off the shelf and could be adapted togrip a particular solder sleeve 12.

FIG. 10B is a diagram showing a view of an end effector 108 having apair of gripper fingers 112 and 114 and respective pairs 116 and 118 ofprongs (or claws) attached to the gripper fingers 112 and 114respectively for forming a sleeve gripper 111. FIG. 10A is a diagramshowing a view of the two pairs 116 and 118 of prongs of the sleevegripper 111 gripping a solder sleeve 12. The insulation rings 13 a and13 b on each end of the solder sleeve 12 have a larger outer diameterthan the rest of the solder sleeve 12. When the prongs 116 and 118 closeover the portions of the solder sleeve 12 between the insulation rings13 a, 13 b and the central solder ring 9, it is impossible for theinsulation rings 13 a and 13 b to slip/pass through the opening betweenopposing prongs, thus making it impossible for the solder sleeve 12 tobe able to inadvertently slip out of the sleeve gripper 111.

In one embodiment, the prongs 116 and 118 of the gripper fingers 112 and114 are designed to cover or shield as little surface area of the soldersleeve 12 as possible. By maximizing the exposed surface area, it wouldbe possible to apply heat to the solder sleeve 12 and perform the meltprocess while still gripping the solder sleeve 12 with the sleevegripper 111. This would ensure that the solder sleeve 12 does notinadvertently become misaligned or move out of place prior to the heatapplication. This would also require that the prongs 116 and 118 befabricated from a heat-resistant or metal material.

The robotic end effector 108 may be designed to pick and place soldersleeves or dead end sleeves. The end effector 108 is intended to be usedas a part of a solder sleeve pick, place and melt module 52 or 54 thathas been integrated into a fully automated system.

The prongs 116 and 118 of the gripper fingers 112 and 114 make contactwith and grip the solder sleeve 12. The gripper fingers 112 and 114 maybe attached to a pick-and-place air cylinder or some other devicecapable of moving gripper fingers 112 and 114 together and apart. Theprongs 116 and 118 are designed to be able to hold solder sleeves ofdifferent sizes. In some in cases, solder sleeve parts may beconstructed using large tolerance values; thus in actuality may vary indiameter, length, etc. The sleeve gripper 111 is designed to contact andgrip the solder sleeve 12 between the central solder ring 9 and theinsulating rings 13 a, 13 b, regardless of solder sleeve size thusavoiding the solder sleeve 12 from slipping out. The solder sleeve mayhave an indent in that space and can be held from it as shown in FIG.10A. The opposing pairs of prongs 116 and 118 have semi-circular cutoutswhich prevent the solder sleeve 12 from being crushed and center thesolder sleeve 12 within the sleeve gripper 111 for accurate placementduring the installation process. The prongs 116 and 118 should be madeof a rigid, heat-resistant material. Examples include aluminum, steel,etc.

In accordance with various proposed embodiments, the solder sleeves 12will be separated by part number and located on reels of tape, incartridges, or on vibration tables. The end effector 108 will be able topick up a solder sleeve 12 from any of these configurations. Vibrationtables are flat surfaces that vibrate to shift products from the end ofthe table (where they are loaded) to the front. In the case of soldersleeves carried by a carrier tape wound on a reel, the solder sleeveswould be extracted from the cavity prior to gripping with the gripperfingers (using an underside actuator, gravity, etc.). In the case of acartridge loaded with solder sleeves, a solder sleeve would need to beextracted from a cavity prior to gripping with the gripper fingers.

The end effector may be adapted for coupling to a robotic arm or agantry robot. A gantry robot consists of a manipulator mounted onto anoverhead system that allows movement across a horizontal plane. Gantryrobots are also called Cartesian or linear robots. The robotic arm maybe part of a robot having multi-axis movement capabilities. The robotincludes one or more positional sensors (not shown) at, or otherwiseassociated with, each of the pivots that provide positional data (X, Y,and Z in three-dimensional space) to the data acquisition system foraccurately locating the solder sleeves. An example of a robot that couldbe employed with the end effector 108 shown in FIG. 10A is robot ModelKR-150 manufactured by Kuka Roboter GmbH (Augsburg, Germany), althoughany robot or other manipulator capable of control the position of theend effector 108 in the manner disclosed herein. The term “gantry/robotarm” will be used herein to mean a robot of either type having a robotcontroller configured to move and control the end effector 108 toperform the solder sleeve pick and place operations disclosed herein.

The sleeve gripper 111 will be used as a part of an end effector withinthe solder sleeve pick, place and melt module. The end effector 108picks up a solder sleeve 12, places it over the prongs of a funnel 170to partially encase them, and waits for the cable 10 to be passedthrough the funnel 170 and the solder sleeve 12. Once the cable 10 isthrough, the end effector 108 moves back to position the solder sleeve12 over the desired area of cable 10. In accordance with embodiment, thedesired area includes the exposed portion of the trimmed shield 4, anadjacent portion of the jacket and adjacent portions of the wires 6 and8. The end effector 108 then releases the solder sleeve 12 and moves outof the way of the heating elements, which close over the solder sleeve12 and melt the sleeve in place on the cable 10. In another embodiment,the end effector 108 does not release the solder sleeve and insteadremains in place to hold the sleeve and cable stationary during theheating process. The heating elements are moved in position and thenactivated to heat the solder sleeve 12 while the prongs 116 and 118 holdthe solder sleeve.

This end effector 108 enables the solder sleeve installation process tobe fully automated. By automating this process, risks associated withthe current manual process (repeatable quality, ergonomic issues, slowercycle times) are eliminated.

The cable processing equipment at each solder sleeve installation module52 and 54 further comprises a set of funnels 170 (see FIG. 1 ) designedto accommodate shielded cables before and after a solder sleeve has beeninstalled onto the cable. These funnels not only serve to guide thecable movement, but also to protect the exposed shielding of the cableas the cable 10 is fed through the solder sleeve 12 and positioned suchthat the exposed shield 4 is surrounded by the solder sleeve 12.

Once a solder sleeve 12 is installed onto a cable 10 on the intendedarea, the overall diameter of the combination of the cable 10 and soldersleeve 12 (sleeve-cable assembly 1 as shown later in FIG. 16A) is thuslarger in diameter at that area than cable 10 originally. To the extentthat the narrowest point along the open-top funnel 170 has been sized tomatch the outer diameter of the cable 10, a cable 10 with an installedsolder sleeve 12 is unable to pass through the open-top funnel 170 forthe purpose of exiting the solder sleeve installation module 52 or 54.To remove this obstacle, an “open top” funnel 170 has been designed inwhich a slot (hereinafter “opening 76”) was created in the top portionof each funnel 170. Such a slot 76 enables funnel 170 to accommodatechanges and variations to the cable exterior size as it undergoesmodifications through sleeve installation.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a view of some components of a soldersleeve installation module including a set of three open-top funnels 170a-170 c designed to thread cables with exposed shields through soldersleeves of different sizes. The openings 76 a-76 c formed in the topportions of the open-top funnels 170 a-170 c enable removal of the cable10 from the funnel after a solder sleeve 12 has been installed. Theopen-top funnels 170 a-170 c are mounted on a sliding plate 176 that iscapable of sliding side to side to place a correct open-top funnel. Asdepicted in FIG. 12 , an open-top funnel 170 b is placed in front of anotch 175 b of a cable guide block 175. The cable guide block furtherincludes a guide surface 175 a for guiding the end of the cable 10 intothe notch 175 b during cable insertion.

The funnel system further includes multiple funnel extensions 172 a-172c. The plastic open-top funnels 170 a-170 c are effectively extended byattaching respective funnel extensions 172 a-172 c. Alternatively, thefunnel extensions 172 a-172 c may be integrally formed with therespective open-top funnels 170 a-170 c. Each of the funnel extensions172 a-172 c may terminate in a pair of prongs 78 a and 78 b. The prongs78 a and 78 b are sized and configured to fit within the inner diameterof the applicable solder sleeve. More specifically, the prongs 78 a and78 b are tapered along their lengths so that they easily enter thesolder sleeve 12 as the solder sleeve is moved into position. Preferablythe prongs 78 a and 78 b are made of a material having a low coefficientof friction (e.g., metal) so that the cable 10 may easily slide alongthe interior surface of the prong. Also the prongs 78 a and 78 b arethin enough that the prongs do not adversely impact the cable's abilityto fit through the solder sleeve 12. The prongs 78 a and 78 b preferablyhave smooth interior surfaces devoid of rough patches or sharp edgesthat might damage the shield 4 and/or cable 10. The prongs 78 a and 78 bclose off a large portion of the internal surface of the solder sleeve12, and provide a smooth surface for the cable 10 to slide along as itis fed through the open-top funnel 170 and the solder sleeve 12. Theprongs 78 a and 78 b eliminate the need to create, and then laterremove, a sacrificial jacket slug.

When the trimmed shield cable 10 is inserted through the solder sleeve12, snagging or otherwise catching of the shield strands or wire endsagainst the inner surface of the solder sleeve (which could damage thecable) is prevented by the intervening prongs 78 a and 78 b. The sizeand length of the funnel extensions are designed/determined based on thesize of the solder sleeve 12 to be installed. The prongs 78 a and 78 bshould be long enough to extend through at least a portion if not mostof the solder sleeve 12, and should taper down along the length of theprongs 78 a and 78 b to facilitate easy placement of the solder sleeve12 over the prongs 78 a and 78 b.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a view of the components depicted in FIG.11 , with the addition of an end effector 108 for placing a soldersleeve 12 (not visible in FIG. 12 , but see FIG. 13 ) onto a portion ofa cable 10 having an exposed shield 4 as part of an automated soldersleeve installation operation. FIG. 12 depicts one state during thesolder sleeve installation process wherein the solder sleeve 12 hasalready been placed around the funnel extension 172 b by the endeffector 108 and the cable 10 has already been fed through the open-topfunnel 170 b and solder sleeve 12.

More specifically, the solder sleeve installation process in accordancewith one embodiment includes the following steps which are performedbefore the state of the apparatus depicted in FIG. 12 is attained, Theend effector 108 picks up a solder sleeve 12 from a vibration table (orother sleeve supply mechanism), places it over the end of the funnelextension 172 b, and then in one embodiment remains stationary while thecable 10 is being fed through the solder sleeve 12 by the cablepositioning mechanism 19. As seen in FIG. 12 , the end effector 108 isequipped with a plastic cover plate 178 which closes off the open-topfunnel 170 b to prevent the cable 10 from escaping the open-top funnel170 b as it is fed through the solder sleeve 12. Next, in oneembodiment, the end effector 108 remains holding the sleeve 12 with thewire inserted through it, and awaits the soldering operation to beperformed on the sleeve. In another embodiment, he end effector 108releases the solder sleeve 12 and moves out of the way prior to thesolder sleeve melt process, which situation is shown in FIG. 13 .

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a view of the components depicted in FIG.11 at an instant in time after a solder sleeve 12 has been placed on afunnel extension 172 b and after a cable 10 has been passed through theopen-top funnel 170 b and the solder sleeve 12 as part of an automatedsolder sleeve installation operation. As seen in FIG. 13 , the soldersleeve 12 is seated on the funnel extension 172 b. The funnel extension172 b closes off a large portion of the internal surface of the soldersleeve 12, and provides a smooth surface for the cable 10 to slide alongas it is fed through the open-top funnel 170 b and the solder sleeve 12.

The system controller (not shown in FIG. 13 , but see system controller100 in FIG. 20 ) may either calculates how far the cable positioningmechanism 19 (see FIG. 4B) should drive the cable 10 into the modulebased on cable strip length information or uses a known pre-set value.The cable shield 4 is stopped at a repeatable position for processing.Thereafter the end effector 108 (see FIG. 10B) moves the solder sleeve12 to the repeatable position seen in FIG. 14 for processing. Theserepeatable positions are such that the solder sleeve 12 is centered overthe exposed area of the trimmed shield 4 of the cable 10. In oneembodiment, the end effector 108 then releases the solder sleeve 12 andmoves out of the way (back to the origin position) prior to the start ofthe solder sleeve melt process. In another embodiment, the end effector108 remains holding the sleeve 12 during the heating process. FIG. 14shows one embodiment of an apparatus for melting a solder sleeve 12 ontoa portion of a cable 10 having exposed shielding using hot air as partof an automated solder sleeve installation operation. The systemcontroller 100 sends commands to a robotic apparatus that places thecomponents of the heating tool 174 in the positions seen in FIG. 14 . Inthis example, the heating tool 174 includes two hot air guns 174 a and174 b placed on opposite sides of the solder sleeve 12 and a curved-tipnozzle 174 c attached to the outlet of the hot air gun 174 a. Thecurved-tip nozzle 174 c projects from the hot air gun 174 a andoverhangs the solder sleeve 12. In addition, the hot air gun 174 b mayhave a flat-tip nozzle attached that is roughly the length of the soldersleeve. The hot air gun 174 b moves laterally from the right of thesolder sleeve 12 into position. The hot air gun 174 a rotates down overthe solder sleeve 12. The hot air guns 174 a and 174 b may be moved intoheating position by activation of respective linear actuators (notshown). Other embodiments may use a single hot air gun, or more thantwo.

During the heating stage, the two hot air guns 174 a and 174 b applyheat to the solder sleeve 12. The curved-tip nozzle 174 c “reflects” thegenerated hot air and causes it to flow around the solder sleeve 12. Theheating tool 174 generates sufficient heat in the heating zone that thesolder ring 9 of the solder sleeve 12 melts onto the cable 10. Using twohot air guns improves the even application of heat to all sides of thesolder sleeve 12, as well as enables an increase in the speed of theoverall melting process. At no point should the hot air guns makephysical contact with the solder sleeve 12 or cable 10 due to thepossibility of charring or damaging the jacket 2 of the cable 10.

In accordance with alternative embodiments, other types of heatingdevices, such as infrared heaters, may be employed in the solder sleevemelting process. An infrared heater or heat lamp is a body with a highertemperature which transfers energy to a body with a lower temperaturethrough electromagnetic radiation. Depending on the temperature of theemitting body, the wavelength of the peak of the infrared radiationranges from 780 nm to 1 mm. No contact or medium between the two bodiesis needed for the energy transfer.

FIG. 15 shows an infrared heating tool 94 in position to melt a soldersleeve 12 onto a portion of a cable 10 having exposed shielding as partof an automated solder sleeve installation operation. The infraredheating tool 94 includes a pair of quartz-encapsulated heating elements120 a and 120 b which are plugged into respective heat sinks 121 a and121 b. The quartz-encapsulated heating elements 120 a and 120 b, whenclosed, are configured to encircle a workpiece. Such heating elementsare capable of providing instant radiant heat at temperatures up to1500° F.

The heating process may be integrated with a method for performing anactive monitoring method such as dimensional analysis to monitor soldersleeves during melting, or temperature monitoring to avoid over orspotty heating of the solder sleeve. In the case of dimensionalanalysis, laser measurement devices can be used and configured to recorddiameter data at specific points on the fused cable and solder sleeve inorder to determine when the solder sleeve has been fully melted.

Once the solder sleeve 12 has been fully melted on the cable 10, thecable 10 may be popped up and out of the open-top funnel 170 b (e.g., bya pneumatic lever that lifts the cable 10 upward or manually) and thenretracted back toward the pallet 64 by the cable positioning mechanism19 (e.g., drive wheel 16 and idler wheel 18 shown in FIG. 4B) ormanually.

FIGS. 16A through 16D are diagrams showing a sleeve-cable assembly 1 atrespective instances in time after a solder sleeve 12 has been melted ona cable 10. FIG. 16A shows the sleeve-cable assembly 1 after melting andbefore being lifted upward to be removed from the funnel 170 and funnelextensions 172. In the situation depicted in FIG. 16A, the solder sleeve12 is still located at the aforementioned repeatable position in aheating zone and the jacketed portion of the cable 10 (indicated byjacket 2) extends from the heating zone to the pallet 64. The jacketedportion of the cable 10 passes through the nip between the drive wheel16 and the idler wheel 18 (not visible in FIG. 16A) and through theopen-top funnel 170. In this vertical position, the sleeve-cableassembly 1 would be unable to pass through the open-top funnel 170, dueto dimensional mismatch if the sleeve-cable assembly 1 were to beretracted due to the drive wheel 16 being rotated in a cable pullingdirection (rightward in FIG. 16A).

In accordance with the embodiment depicted in FIG. 16A, the soldersleeve installation module further includes a cable lifting mechanism123 that includes a lever arm 122 that is extended/retracted by a linearactuator 124. The linear actuator 124 may take the form of a pneumaticcylinder or a servo motor. In either case, the lever arm 122 includes acoupling 132 for attaching the lever arm to a distal end of a linearlyvertically displaceable rod 133 of the linear actuator 124. The distancebetween the lever arm 122 and the tip 173 of the funnel extension 172should not be more than the length from the tip 10 b of the cable wires6 and 8 to the forward edge 12 a of the solder sleeve 12. In the statedepicted in FIG. 16A, the lever arm 122 is retracted and not in contactwith the cable 10. Other lifting mechanisms could also be used to liftthe sleeve-cable assembly 1 out of the prongs and then remove it fromthe solder sleeve installation module 52 or 54.

FIG. 16B shows the cable lifting mechanism 123 after the lever arm 122has been raised first to a vertical position whereat the lever arm 122comes into contact with a portion of cable 10 and then to a highervertical position whereby the contacted portion of the cable is lifted.While the cable portion in front of the open-top funnel 170 is beinglifted, the portion of the cable 10 that is in the nip between the drivewheel 16 and idler wheel 18 stays in the nip at the same elevation.

Referring now to FIG. 16C, the opening formed in the open-top funnel 170(not visible in FIG. 16B or 16C) is configured so that when the leverarm 122 lifts the cable 10 as shown in FIG. 16B, the solder sleeve 12 isnow able to be retracted by rotating the drive wheel 16 in the cablepulling direction, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 16C parallel to thesleeve-cable assembly 1. FIG. 16D shows a later instant in time duringpassage of the solder sleeve 12 through the open-top funnel 170 as thecable 10 is retracted. The lever arm 122 and the tip of the funnelextension 172 are set up to ensure that the edge of the solder sleeve 12that is closest to the prongs is able to clear the prongs withoutsnagging when the cable 10 is lifted and removed.

FIG. 17 is a diagram representing a front view of a lever arm 122 of acable lift mechanism 123 in accordance with one embodiment. The leverarm 122 includes a horizontal base 130 and a pair of vertical walls 126and 128 extending upward from the side edges of the base 130. Thesurfaces of the lever arm 122 should be smooth in order to permit thecable 10 to slide across the surface without excessive friction. Thereshould be no sharp edges or rough surfaces that could potentially causedamage to the cable 10 or solder sleeve 12. The design shown in FIG. 17includes raised sides in order to ensure that the cable 10 does not falloff of the cable lift mechanism 123 prematurely. The lever arm 122 maybe made of plastic or metal. In other embodiments, the cable liftingmechanism 123 may be equipped with a magnetic device that would attractthe metal parts in the cable and ensure the cable does not slip off ofthe cable lift mechanism 123.

FIG. 18A is a diagram representing a top view of an open-top funnel 170having a funnel extension 172 in accordance with one proposedimplementation. The open-top funnel 170 has an opening 76 that extendsfrom the entry side 134 of the funnel 170 to the exit side 136. 136. Thefunnel extension 172 in turn has an opening 77 extending the length ofthe funnel extension 172.

FIG. 18B is a diagram representing a top view of the open-top funnel 170depicted in FIG. 18A with a sleeve-cable assembly 1 overlying andaligned with openings 76 and 77. In this example, the jacket 2 has anouter diameter equal to or slightly less than the opening 77 in thefunnel extension 172, whereas the solder sleeve 12 has an outer diametergreater than the opening 77. Thus the solder sleeve 12 cannot passthrough the channel in funnel extension 172 and instead must be liftedand then passed over the opening 77.

As seen in FIG. 18B, although the outer diameter of the solder sleeve 12is also greater than the width of opening 76 at the exit side 136 of theopen-top funnel, again the uplifted solder sleeve 12 may again pass overthat obstacle. As the opening 76 widens in the cable pulling directionhowever, as some point the opening 76 becomes wider than the outerdiameter of the solder sleeve 12, which allows the solder sleeve 12 topass through that portion of the open-top funnel 170, therebyfacilitating retraction of sleeve-cable assembly 1.

An alternative funnel system design may use a “split funnel”. FIG. 19Ais a top view of a split funnel 171 in an open state; FIG. 19B is a topview of split funnel 171 in a closed state. The split funnel 171consists of two separable funnel halves 180 a and 180 b. The splitfunnel 171 has an open state in which the first and second funnel halves180 a and 180 b are separated by a gap and a closed state in which thefirst and second funnel halves 180 a and 180 b are in contact with eachother. The funnel halves 180 a and 180 b may be closed as the cable 10is fed into the system and later opened in order to remove and retractthe cable 10. If the funnels are split, they may remain closed until thesolder sleeve installation.

In cases where split funnels 171 are employed, the solder sleeveinstallation apparatus further comprises an actuator (e.g., pneumaticcylinder 84 identified in FIG. 5 ) for selectively moving one or both ofthe first and second funnel halves 180 a and 180 b to achieve atransition between the open and closed states, and a computer 162 (seeFIG. 5 ) configured to activate the actuator to move the first andsecond funnel halves 180 a and 180 b away from each other beforeactivating the motor 72 to drive rotation of the drive wheel 16 in thecable pulling direction.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart identifying steps of a method 200 for picking,placing and melting a solder sleeve on a shielded cable in accordancewith one embodiment. First, the system controller 100 sends informationto the computer 162 controlling operation of the solder sleeve pick,place and melt module (step 202). The information includes which type ofsolder sleeve to pick and the orientation of the pigtail if one is to beattached to the sleeve. An example of a pigtail could be an insulatedground wire, or a ground braid strap, or any other wire that needs to beattached to the cable 10. The solder sleeve type is used as a factor todetermine which funnel of a set of funnels should be used to pass acable through that solder shield.

In accordance with one proposed implementation, solder sleeves and deadend sleeves are separated by part number onto different vibration tables(not shown in the drawings). Vibration tables could be replaced withtape-and-reels or cartridges. The system controller 100 tells therobotic arm or gantry with the attached end effector 108 where to movebased on the solder sleeve part number that is to be installed on acable 10. If the solder sleeve 12 is on a tape-and-reel or cartridge(not shown in the drawings), the solder sleeve 12 will be pushed out ofthe cavity (via pneumatic actuator, electric actuator, etc.) so that theend effector 108 can grip it.

Next the gantry/robot arm positions an end effector over the location ofsolder sleeves of the correct type (step 204). A pick-and-place visionsystem is used to assist the positioning of the end effector to pick upa solder sleeve in the correct orientation (step 206). When the endeffector is properly positioned and oriented, the end effector isactuated to grip a solder sleeve (step 208). A verification step isperformed to ensure the solder sleeve has been gripped and that theground wire of the gripped solder sleeve is correctly oriented. A visionsystem can be used for such purposes.

The gantry/robot arm then moves the end effector so that the grippedsolder sleeve is transported toward a vicinity of the correspondingfunnel and then placed on the prongs of the funnel extensions (step210). While the solder sleeve is seated on the prongs, the cablepositioning mechanism at the solder sleeve installation module pushesthe cable through the funnel and the solder sleeve (step 212). Incertain embodiments, the cable is pushed through only a certainpre-specified length that has been calculated or is pre-programmedaccording to the application, wire type and shield trim characteristics.

The gantry/robot arm then moves the end effector to a repeatableposition for processing (step 214) while holding the sleeve 12. Thisposition is such that the solder sleeve is centered over the exposedshield on the cable. In accordance with one embodiment, the exposedshield of the cable and the solder sleeve may be moved concurrently andat the same speed while the solder sleeve is already centered over theexposed shield. In accordance with other embodiments, the cable is fedthrough the funnel until the exposed shield of the cable arrives at therepeatable position and thereafter the end effector moves the soldersleeve off of the prongs to the repeatable position. In accordance withone proposed implementation, the respective repeatable positions of thesolder sleeve and the exposed shield are such that the solder sleevesurrounds the entire exposed shield. The end effector is then actuatedopen to release the solder sleeve and then the gantry/robot arm is movedout of the way and possibly back to an origin position (step 216).

The heating tool is then moved into position within a heating zone ofthe solder sleeve and activated (step 218). The heating tool generatesheat in the heating zone sufficient to melt the solder sleeve onto thecable. During the melting operation, the state of the solder sleeve ismonitored using active dimensional analysis (step 220). For example, alaser scan micrometer may be used to measure the decreasing outerdiameter of the solder sleeve. Once the solder sleeve is melted to thedesired level, the heating process is stopped. This can be achieved byturning heating tool off and pulling it away from the cable (step 222).For example, when the laser measurement indicates that the outerdiameter of the solder sleeve has reached a target value indicative of astate of fully melted or melted to a desired level, the heating processis stopped. This can be achieved by turning the heating tool, such ashot-air guns, off automatically. Then the cable is lifted at leastpartially out of the open-top funnel and then retracted out of the pick,place and melt module (step 224). In accordance with an alternativeembodiment having split (not open-top) funnels, two funnel halves areopened to provide sufficient space for the sleeve-cable assembly 1 to beretracted.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram identifying some components of an automatedsystem for picking, placing and melting a solder sleeve on a shieldedcable in accordance with one embodiment. The computer 162 is programmedto send control signals to various electrically controlled valves 80which may be opened to supply compressed air to pneumatic cylinders 84,86 and 88 as previously described. The pneumatic cylinders 84, 86 and 88may be used to move various components of the cable processing equipment24, such as funnel halves 180 a, 180 b and hot air guns 174 a, 174 b. Inalternative embodiments, the pneumatic cylinders may be replaced byelectric motors.

Still referring to FIG. 21 , the computer 162 communicates with a robotcontroller 98 via a suitable wired or wireless connection using asuitable communication protocol (e.g., Ethernet or Bluetooth). The robotcontroller 98 is a computer configured to control the operation ofvarious robot motors 104 (via motor controllers 102) that move thegantry/robot arm 106 to achieve the previously described path for theend effector 108. The robot controller 98 is also configured to controlthe gripping action of the end effector 108.

The computer 162 also controls the temperature in the heating zone. Morespecifically, the computer 162 outputs heater power control signals thatcontrol the power supplied to the infrared heating tool 94. The heaterpower control signals are sent by the computer 162 to a signalconditioner 90, which in turn outputs conditioned heater power controlsignals to a heater power controller 92. The heater power controller 92is configured to convert conditioned heater power control signals to anoutput voltage which is used to power the infrared heating tool 94. Inaccordance with one embodiment, the outer diameter of the solder sleeve12 may be monitored during melting using a laser scan micrometer 96. Inresponse to measurement data from laser scan micrometer 96 indicatingthat the outer diameter of the shrinking solder sleeve has reached atarget value, the computer 162 turns the infrared heating tool 94 off.

The system depicted in FIG. 1 may be operated under the control of asystem controller 150 (shown in FIG. 22 ). FIG. 22 is a flowchartidentifying steps of a method 300 for controlling a system having aplurality of workstations for performing a sequence of operations forinstalling a solder sleeve 12 on an end of a cable 10 in accordance withone embodiment. The system controller 150 receives work packages andinformation 304 from a database 302 and also receives cable information308 from static look-up tables 306. The system controller 150 parses thedata and uses the information to run the system. The cables to beprocessed may be intended for installation on an airplane or othervehicle or in other types of electrical systems. In the case of cablesintended for installation on an airplane, the cables in a work packageare organized by airplane effectivity, bundle number, wire type, andthen group code.

An example of a work package is production data or information and mayinclude the wire bundle that includes the identifying numbers of thecable to be processed by the system and the solder sleeve to beinstalled the overall cable length, to what equipment the cable willconnect from and to, the cable type, the airplane effectivity, what typeof airplane (program code), the wire bundle dash number, the wire gauge(this is the gauge of the wires in the cable), the bundle group code,and the termination code (designates what kind of contact or othertermination is applied to the wires and shield of the cable).

Static look-up tables are used to configure the system parameters basedon the parameters of a cable in the production file (work package).Examples of data stored in the static lookup tables include: the size ofthe dead end sleeve that fits the cable; the size and type of soldersleeve that fits the cable; an alternative size of solder sleeve thatfits the cable if the primary solder sleeve size is out of stock orotherwise unavailable; the size of funnel that should be used to feedthe cable into the solder sleeve pick, place and melt station; the wirecolors that are present on the cable (to be sent to the visioninspection system after the shield is trimmed); the solder sleeve “fullyinstalled” diameter, which is the value that is sent to the soldersleeve pick, place and melt station if active dimensional analysis isused to monitor the installation of a sleeve part; the strip length ofthe cable if a solder sleeve is to be installed (which is determined byboth what equipment the cable is terminated to, as well as thetermination type code); the strip length of the cable if a dead endsleeve is to be installed; and the orientation of the ground wire(pigtail) if a solder sleeve is installed.

The system controller 150 sends signals for controlling movements of thevarious components of the cable delivery system 60 or 61 (step 316). Thesystem controller 150 also receives signals representing the states ofthe light gates from all modules (step 309). The system controller 150also determines, derives or retrieves from a lookup table how far thecable positioning mechanism 19 should drive the cable 10 into eachmodule based on cable strip length information. The cable strip lengthis used to calculate the length of the cable that needs to be driveninto each module such that the cable is processed at the correctlocation. The system controller 150 sends control signals to the variousmotor controllers (or computer in command of the motor controller) tocause the motors to move based on signals received from the variouslight gates and the cable strip length (step 318).

Still referring to FIG. 22 , cables are sent one at a time to thede-reeler module 32 to be cut and loaded onto the system. The systemcontroller 150 sends cable type and length information to the de-reelermodule 32 (step 320). The de-reeler module 32 de-reels a continuouslength of cable of the specified type and then cuts the cable to thespecified length. For each length of cable 10, the laser marker 34 lasermarks the outer jacket 2 of the cable 10 with pertinent information(bundle number, wire number, gauge).

In addition, the system controller 150 uses cable insulation informationto select the appropriate laser setting and send it to the laser scoringmodule 40 (step 322). The system controller 150 also uses the cable typeinformation to determine the correct type of solder sleeve or dead endsleeve and then sending commands to the solder sleeve installationmodules 52 and 54 specifying which open-top funnel should be used (basedon cable diameter) and where the solder sleeve 12 should be positionedafter its removal from the prong (step 328). The same signals specifyingwhich open-top funnel should be used are sent to the shield trimmingmodule 44 (step 324). In addition, the system controller sends cabletype information to the shield trim inspection module 46 (step 326).

The system controller 150 is also configured to monitor the system forerrors. For example, the system controller 150 receives signals from theshield sensor in the jacket slug pulling module 42 (step 310). If thesignal is not present, the system controller 150 issues an error alarm.Also, the system controller 150 receives image data from cameras at theshield trim inspection module 46, which image data is processed using apass/fail algorithm (step 312). In addition, the system controller 150receives signals from the ground wire detection module 58 (step 314). Ifthe signal is not present, the system controller 150 generates an errormessage.

While methods and apparatus for installing a sleeve on a cable have beendescribed with reference to various embodiments, it will be understoodby those skilled in the art that various changes may be made andequivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departingfrom the scope of the teachings herein. In addition, many modificationsmay be made to adapt the teachings herein to a particular situationwithout departing from the scope thereof. Therefore it is intended thatthe claims not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosedherein.

The embodiments disclosed above use one or more computer systems. Asused in the claims, the term “computer system” comprises a singleprocessing or computing device or multiple processing or computingdevices that communicate via wireline and/or wireless connections orover the cloud. Such processing or computing devices typically includeone or more of the following: a processor, a computer, a controller, acentral processing unit, a microcontroller, a reduced instruction setcomputer processor, an application-specific integrated circuit, aprogrammable logic circuit, a field-programmable gated array, a digitalsignal processor, and/or any other circuit or processing device capableof executing the functions described herein. For example, the controlcomputer 162 and robot controller 98 identified in FIG. 21 form a“computer system”. The above examples are exemplary only, and thus arenot intended to limit in any way the definition and/or meaning of theterm “computer system”.

The methods described herein may be encoded as executable instructionsembodied in a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium,including, without limitation, a storage device and/or a memory device.Such instructions, when executed by a processing or computing system,cause the system device to perform at least a portion of the methodsdescribed herein.

The process claims set forth hereinafter should not be construed torequire that the steps recited therein be performed in alphabeticalorder (any alphabetical ordering in the claims is used solely for thepurpose of referencing previously recited steps) or in the order inwhich they are recited unless the claim language explicitly specifies orstates conditions indicating a particular order in which some or all ofthose steps are performed. Nor should the process claims be construed toexclude any portions of two or more steps being performed concurrentlyor alternatingly unless the claim language explicitly states a conditionthat precludes such an interpretation.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for processing a cable comprising:(a) robotically picking up a sleeve, transporting the sleeve to avicinity of first and second prongs of an extension of a funnel, andplacing the sleeve on the first and second prongs; (b) activating acable positioning mechanism that pushes an end of a cable through thefunnel, between the first and second prongs and through the sleeve untila specified portion of the cable is positioned in a heating zoneseparated from the ends of the first and second prongs by a distance;(c) robotically moving the sleeve from a position in contact with thefirst and second prongs to a position in the heating zone whereat thesleeve surrounds the specified portion of the cable; and (d) heating thesleeve in the heating zone while the sleeve surrounds the specifiedportion of the cable.
 2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein step(d) comprises generating a heat in the heating zone until the sleevemelts on the specified portion of the cable.
 3. The method as recited inclaim 1, wherein step (c) occurs after step (b).
 4. The method asrecited in claim 1, wherein step (c) occurs during step (b).
 5. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein the specified portion of the cableincludes a length of exposed shield and the sleeve is a solder sleeve.6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein the solder sleeve comprisesa solder ring and a pair of insulating rings, the method furthercomprising robotically gripping the solder sleeve between the solderring and the insulating rings before robotically picking up the soldersleeve.
 7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the funnel has anopen top, the method further comprising lifting the cable up until noportion of the cable is between the first and second prongs.
 8. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein activating the cable positioningmechanism comprises rotating a pair of wheels that form a nip with aportion of the cable therein.
 9. The method as recited in claim 1,wherein the funnel comprises funnel halves, the method furthercomprising separating the funnel halves to enable the melted sleeve topass between the separated funnel halves.
 10. A method for processing ashielded cable, the method comprising: placing a portion of the shieldedcable between a pair of wheels that form a nip; robotically placing asleeve on an extension of a funnel having an entry side that faces thenip; driving rotation of the wheels in a cable pushing direction tocause an end of the shielded cable to move through the funnel until anexposed shield of the shielded cable is positioned in a heating zone ata distance from the funnel; robotically moving the sleeve from theextension of the funnel to a position in the heating zone; and heatingthe sleeve in the heating zone until material of the sleeve is meltedover the exposed shield.
 11. The method as recited in claim 10, furthercomprising driving rotation of the wheels in a cable pulling directionafter the sleeve has been melted.
 12. The method as recited in claim 10,wherein the funnel has an open top, the method further comprisinglifting the cable up through the open top until no portion of the cableis between the first and second prongs.
 13. The method as recited inclaim 10, wherein the funnel comprises funnel halves, the method furthercomprising separating the funnel halves to enable the melted sleeve topass between the separated funnel halves.
 14. A method for automatedinstallation of a solder sleeve on a shielded cable, the methodcomprising automated operations performed by an automated workstation,which automated operations comprise: (a) placing the solder sleeve on anextension of a funnel; (b) moving an end of the shielded cable into andthrough the funnel until an exposed shield of the shielded cable ispositioned in a heating zone at a distance from the extension of thefunnel; (c) robotically moving the solder sleeve from the extension ofthe funnel to a position in the heating zone where the solder sleevesurrounds the exposed shield; and (d) heating the solder sleeve in theheating zone until material of the solder sleeve is melted over theexposed shield of the shielded cable.
 15. The method as recited in claim14, wherein step (c) occurs after step (b).
 16. The method as recited inclaim 14, wherein step (c) occurs during step (b).
 17. The method asrecited in claim 14, further comprising: (e) removing the shielded cablefrom the funnel subsequent to step (d).
 18. The method as recited inclaim 17, wherein the funnel has an open top and step (e) compriseslifting the shielded cable up through the open top until no portion ofthe shielded cable is inside the funnel.
 19. The method as recited inclaim 17, wherein the funnel comprises funnel halves and step (e)comprises separating the funnel halves to enable the melted sleeve topass between the separated funnel halves.
 20. The method as recited inclaim 17, wherein moving the end of the shielded cable through thefunnel comprises rotating a pair of wheels that form a nip with aportion of the shielded cable therein.